[violence] domestic violence

An Egyptian woman, Wafa, who was subjected to physical abuse by her husband and his sister-in-law, has been provided shelter following intervention in her case by the Saudi Arabian Human Rights Commission.

Rania al-Baz's popularity as a TV news presenter was always an implicit threat to Saudi Arabia's repressive, male-dominated culture but it wasn't until her husband beat her, and she published the photos of her injuries, that she shook Saudi society.

More than 50 per cent of female parliamentarians belong to the cleric-backed United Iraqi Alliance, which won the election in a landslide with just over half the seats. It has called the implementation of Sharia “non-negotiable”.